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The Latitude is, how far North or South it lieth.
The Scituation is, whether it be an Island, or Firm-land; whether it be hilly, or a plain champaign ground, a low vale. Now an Island is more windy than the Continent or Firm land; because the Sea is seldom without winds: and it is more warm in winter (except it be seituate in the Frozen-zone, as
Island) than the main-land: therefore Britain hath milder Winters, than France.
In the low Vales and level grounds, which are not exalted with hills, the rainy clouds make but a short aboad, but swiftly move away through those aires, without stop; where∣as among high tops of moun∣tains, the clouds are hampered and arrested, and have not so free passage; but crouding to∣gether, at length do discharge themselves by millions of drops into the lower bottoms.
The Scituation also doth tell us, what Winds are most fre∣quent and familiar in any Countrey, if we do look how the Sea bears to the Land: The Western Ocean looketh broad upon Britain; from whence Westerly-winds do often blow upon this Island: The Mediter∣ranean-Sea upon the East of Por∣tugal
giveth that Country moist Easterly-winds. These same great waters flowing from the South Regions upon the shoars of Italy, do furnish that Country with moist South-winds: but the land of Canaan, lying at the bot∣tom of the Streights, to the East of the Mediterranean, doth meet with Westerly wet winds; but the winds that blow upon it from the South, coming from Sun-burnt Egypt, are hot. Thus our Saviour reasoneth with the Jews, Luke 12. 54, 55. We do use to say in Britain, that when it cleareth up in the West in time of raines, that it will be fair anon; because no more Clouds at that time do come from the Western Ocean. Under the Equi∣nectial, in the middle of the World, there is a Trade-wind (so called, by reason of the great trading of Merchants in those Seas) one half of the
year blowing from the East, and the other half year from the West, according as the Sun is on this or that side the Equi∣noctial. And in the East-Indies, when the Sun, in or near the Aequinoctial, is Vertical, or di∣rect over their heads, it raineth almost constantly; because of the great Indian Ocean, from whence the Sun with his mighty heat draweth great store of moi∣sture.
The winds upon mighty high mountains, which are not adja∣cent to the Sea, do vary accord∣ing to the point of the Compass the Sun is in, any hour of the day.
The Sun in the Meridian, and upon the direct South of the airy Alpes, the wind at that hour upon Mount Viso, one of the highest among the Alpes, is quite contrary to the Sun, blowing directly from the North.
As for the Latitude of the Country; the farther North, as being more remote from the Sun, the colder it is; but the farther South, the warmer: it may snow in the High-lands of Scotland, when it but raineth at London: it may rain in a North mountainons Countrey, when it is dry weather in great Champains and Southern plaines.
The Northern Countries of Denmark, Norway, Swedeland, Russia, and the North of Germa∣ny, are for the most part frozen all Winter, and then the exha∣lations and mists are close im∣prisoned, therefore the aire is calm and clear, and the star∣ry lights glistering most beauti∣fully. They can walk upon the narrow Sound, between Sweden and Danemark, as upon dry land, it is so strongly bridged with Ice. In the Spring-time,
when the ice is chawed, and Winter must go lodg among the Antipodes, and the pleasant Spring and flowery Summer do enter the stage, then the impri∣soned exhalations do break out, and fill the aire with warm fogs, bringing a warmer Summer than islands have, which lie farther South. In the South-parts Egypt is dried up, and hath little or no rain. Judea seldom is rained upon in June and Ju∣ly: the East-Indies hath great rains, when the Sun is vertical, through the Suns vehement heat upon the Indian Ocea.